3) VALVAL

VALVAL

YUMMY VEGETABLE SOUP

A SCRUMPTIOUS KONKANI SOUP AND DELICATE CURRY

Ingredients:

     1)    Ash gourd – 750 gm.

     2)    Sweet or ripe pumpkin – 500 gm.

     3)    Elephant foot yam – 500 gm.

     4)    Potato – 300 gm.

     5)    Raw Nendran banana – 150 gm.

     6)    Carrots – 100 gm.

     7)    Tender cow pea beans – 4 Nos.

     8)    Green chili medium hot type – 5 Nos.

     9)    Fresh coconuts – 2 Nos.

     10)     Asafoetida powder – 1 pinch

To cook:

          Clean and peel the vegetables. Remove the seeds of ash gourd and pumpkin. Dice the vegetables. The ideal size for pumpkins, ash gourd, potatoes and yam would be around 1 inch cubes. The banana and carrots can be split lengthwise into halves and diced into ½ inch pieces. The cow pea beans can be cut into 1 ½ pieces. Slit the green chilies on one side for the whole length.

          Grate the coconuts and grind them adding water. The volume of water should be approximately equal to the volume of grated coconuts. When finely ground, cover a bowl with clean cotton or muslin cloth and tip over the ground coconut. Now, pull together the edges of the cloth and squeeze the coconut mixture twisting the top of the cloth as you go releasing the thick coconut milk into the bowl. Pour the milk into another vessel and put back the cloth bundle into the bowl. Open the cloth and pour the same quantity of water as earlier. Mix well and squeeze again. Set aside the second coconut milk and repeat once again collecting the third milk.

          Put all the vegetables including chilies in the pressure cooker and pour in the second and third coconut milk. Close the lid and put on the stove. Once you hear the first whistle, lower the flame to minimum and cook for five minutes. Switch off the stove and allow to cool slowly.

          Wait patiently till the steam has fully subsided to open the cooker. On opening, pour the thick coconut milk and add some salt. Turn on the heat. Taste and put more salt if required. When the soup comes to a boil, add the asafoetida powder. Stir and switch off the heat. Let the soup rest for five to six hours.

          Your delicious valval is now ready to serve. Serve warm. Correctly made, Valval has the power to lift your spirits, to make you smile. You will crave for more!

Notes:

     1)    Valval does not demand the heat of the chili but it needs the flavor and the taste. If you do not like hot chilies, you can go in for sweet chilies or in the alternative, remove the seeds from the chilies before cooking.

     2)     When you break the coconuts, sieve and save the coconut water which has healing and beautifying properties. Washing your face with coconut water three to four times a day can help you get rid of pimples and acne. Massaging your body with coconut water can give you smooth healthy skin.